Perception
by Aandrandom
Summary: For the last two months 16 year old Mila Letrova has been seing visions in her sleep. At first she thought it was just normal nightmares but the feelings they give her, tells her differently. As Mila tries to figure out the meaning of the visions, things get worse and at the same time she meets a boy named Jacob Black who she instantly takes a liking to. (Also Published on Mibba)
1. First Meeting

I held the coffee cup in a tight grip between my trembling hands, even though the dark liquid had turned cold long time ago. The clock had just struck over 12 a.m and I should be in bed asleep already, especially since I had work the next morning but I couldn't sleep. It was not because I wasn't tired, or that my bed was too uncomfortable – I was scared. Since four months back, I had started having nightmares – No, not nightmares. I have had nightmares all my life, this was different, something more. It was usually only small fragments of multiple things or creatures, flashing through my mind in a blur. They were still very mysterious and horrid and left me with an uneasy feeling pulsating in my heart, often causing me to violently kick and scream during the night till I woke up. Perhaps it was some kind of sixth sense that were trying to prepare myself for something that was about to happen, maybe a warning. - Or I was just close to losing my mind.

I let out a deep sigh, rolling my head back and focused my eyes on the dark spot on the wooden ceiling. I had never talked to anyone about these visions that I'd been having at night, partly afraid that people would think that I'm crazy - Maybe I was.

I was suddenly brought back to reality when I heard a car pull over on the street outside, soon accompanied by more screeching wheels. I walked over to the open window and looked outside where Edward, Bella's boyfriend, was getting out of his car while Bella was walking up the driveway with the dark-haired boy that I had been seeing a lot here lately. Judging by his black hair and dark russet-skin, I would say he was from the reservation in La Push. Then in a flash Edward had moved from his spot and was standing in front of Bella and the other guy, making me furrow my eyebrows in confusion. Either he had just moved about seven meters in a blink of an eye or I had officially begun seeing unreal things even when awake – I didn't know which option that scared me the most.

The boys had started arguing, over Bella what it seemed like. She was standing anxiously on the side, trying to calm the situation, without success.

"Jacob! Just go, okay?" Bella pleaded.

Things had gotten very heated, when Bella's dad came out of the front door and broke it up. As the Chief of Police he always held a thick authority, making people listen to him. "What's going on?" He asked.

Edward and Jacob were still glaring at each other, clearly wanting to rip each others throats out but then Jacob averted his eyes to the ground. "I kissed Bella." He said. "And she broke her hand, punching my face. A total misunderstanding."

Bella seemed more relieved after his words. Her dad looked somewhat shocked before declaring that everyone should go home but Edward offered to take Bella to his father to treat her hand, and then it was over. Bella and Edward walked over to his car while Jacob went to his own, a big frown covering his face. I watched him bash the car door in anger before grabbing a hold on the handle but before he got in the car, he raised his head and a pair of dark eyes met mine. His eyes widened when he understood that I had been watching and I quickly stepped away from the window, dropping the cup I held in the process. It fell to the floor and shattered into tiny pieces, spilling out the liquid content. I felt heat rushing towards my face, the feeling of embarrassment filling me up. I didn't want him to think that I had been spying on them, which I guess I kind of had. I heard him start the car and driving off, leaving behind a roar that faded off in the distance.

First then I got my act together, picking up the broken pieces and wiped up the spilled coffee. I walked down to the kitchen and threw away the pieces of porcelain in the trash can before leaning my back against the kitchen counter. I thought back to Edward and how he in just a single second had moved from one spot to another, several meters away. It was physically impossible to be able to move as fast as he did, not even the fastest animal on the planet should be able to do it but that would also mean that I was really beginning to see things that wasn't real. Not sure if I was ready to accept that fact just yet.

I stifled a yawn just when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and I looked up to see my mother coming into the kitchen. "Mila? Why are you still up?" She asked me, confusion reflecting through her eyes.

"I couldn't sleep." I answered truthfully, although I left out the part about being too scared to sleep.

"You've been sleeping poorly for quite some time now." My eyes widened slightly at her statement. Had she noticed I was up at night? "Are you sure there isn't something that's bothering you?"

Her big green eyes peered down at me, begging me to open up to her and I almost obeyed, feeling slightly guilty for making her look so worried. She seemed to know that I was keeping something from her and I hated the fact that my gut feeling was telling me to keep these visions to myself. It would have been nice to discuss the meaning of them with someone else but it just felt wrong every time I tried talking to somebody about it.

"I'm fine, just a little stressed out about school and work. Sometimes I feel like I don't have enough time for everything."

I could tell she didn't buy my lie, her gaze flickering all over me like she was studying my body language but she played along anyways. "You know that you're not obliged to work, right sweetie? I support and love the fact that you want to be responsible and save up extra money but if it's starting to affect your studies or your health, then I think you should quit the extra job. I know that you like working in the flower shop and that you want to help Mrs. Florence but it shouldn't be your first priority and I think she would agree with me on that."

I shook my head. "I promise, it's just a hectic time right now because it's the end of the semester. The last homeworks are due soon and a lot of customers are ordering home different bouquets to give to their children on graduation day. Everything will slow down soon, okay?"

She gave me a skeptical look but when I didn't falter, she just sighed. "Okay, but promise me to listen to your body and don't do more then it can handle, please?" I promised. "Now let's get back to bed. We both need to rest, you especially."

I walked up the stairs with my mother and then went back into my room after giving her a hug and saying goodnight. Determined to not give my mother any more reasons to worry about me, I lay down on the soft bed and turned off the table lamp. Hopefully I would finally get to have a good nights sleep without any visions.

_Morning after:_

The doorbell, hanging down from the door frame in a lace ribbon, gave off a familiar pling as I opened the door to the flower shop. I walked inside, inhaling the fresh scent of flowers and then headed to the office room in the back of the shop. I found Mrs. Florence by her desk, looking through some papers in deep concentration.

"God morning, Grace." I greeted while shrugging off my denim jacket and then hung it on the coat hanger.

"Oh, god morning Mila! How are you today?" She looked up from the paper stack and pulled down her glasses, letting them hang around her neck by a thin gold chain.

"I'm good!" Very good actually, better than I've been for quite a long time. I'd had, for the first time in weeks, a good night's sleep without any visions or other dreams. I already felt more energetic and the constant anxiousness that I had felt, was not as evident as before. "How is everything here?"

"It's alright. There's just a lot of orders to organize and send away, they never seem to end."

"You want me to help with that?" I offered.

She smiled but shook her head gently. "No, that's okay. I got this but if you want, you can open the shop and take care of any potential customers, while I finish this up?"

"Yeah, sure."

I unlocked the automatic lock on the door and turned the open sign that hung by the window, while peeking outside. The streets were practically empty, with only two older women sitting by the benches on the other side of the road, chatting and smoking. Just another ordinary Saturday in the town of Forks. Everyone who were off from work or school took the opportunity to sleep in, leaving the town pretty much deserted until noon at least and later in the evening, teenagers would gather outside the movie theater to hang out, some brought alcohol with them and sometimes even drugs. I had been there only once, forced by my best friend Kaitlyn and I quickly realized that it wasn't my type of scenery. It was very loud and intense, in a bad way. I'd usually just spend my Saturdays with Kaitlyn at her house, or at home with a good book and a bowl of popcorn.

My daydreaming was interrupted by the door bell ringing when a middle aged woman walked into the shop and I offered a smile before walking over and asking if she needed any help.

_Later:_

The hours went by quickly and by 2.30 p.m we had both cleaned and closed the shop.

"Thank you for today, Mila! I guess I'll see you on Tuesday, right?"

Normally I would only help out in the shop on the weekends but lately I'd come by after certain school days, when we ended a little earlier. Next Friday, the graduation was being held and I knew how hectic it was for her this time of the year, so I wanted to help out as much as I could. She was almost like a grandmother to me which made her a very important person in my life, especially since my only real grandparents I had left, still lived in Bulgaria.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you then. Have a good weekend Grace and say hi to John for me!"

I waved, then turned around and walked the other way, heading for my car that was parked next to the café, about hundred meters away. After about a minute of walking, I began to feel warm, starting at the tip of my toes and rose all the way up to my head. Then before I knew it, my head started throbbing with an explosive pain, pressing against my forehead. I stopped dead in my tracks, burying my head in my hands and a loud moan escaped between my parted lips. The pain never stopped and it felt as though something was trying to push their way forward inside of my head and dark spots flickered before my eyes as I tried to regain my posture. I stumbled and crashed into a wall as the pulsating pain got worse and I cried out in pain once again. Fear started building inside of me as the thought of dying flashed through my mind. Maybe I was exaggerating but the pain was so immense that I could barely breath. I looked up when I thought I heard a voice calling out to me but I couldn't see who it was due to the spots that was still covering my sight. The voice was very dark and masculine, so I knew it was a man.

"Hey! Can you hear me!? What's wrong?"

I tried to speak but nothing came out except a groan. Then I felt him put his hands on my shoulders gently and suddenly it all stopped – the pain, the dizziness and the explosive feeling all vanished. I took a deep breath as my eyesight returned and looked up at the man who had stopped to help me – Jacob. For the second time this weekend, I was staring into his chocolate-brown eyes, that now held a look of concern as he peered down at me.

I opened my mouth to speak and maybe thank him, but lost in his big beautiful eyes, all I could muster was a weak; "Hi."

He looked a little taken back by my casual greeting but recovered quickly as he helped me back up on my feet, his hands supporting me by my elbows. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah.. I'm fine." I breathed. "It must have been a very bad migraine."

He raised his eyebrows, eyeing me carefully, then cleared his throat. "Yeah uh... it looked like it hurt."

"It did."

For a moment I just stood and stared up at him, observing his every feature. The more I looked, the more I noticed how incredibly handsome he was – a perfect specimen. I could feel myself starting to blush when I realized that he was still holding onto my elbows, with my forearms resting on top of his. It felt warm and... safe and a part of me didn't want him to ever let go but when he followed my eyes and realized as well that he was still holding onto me, he mumbled an apology and let go.

"So.. you're Mila, right?" My stomach fluttered at the fact that he knew my name. "Bella has mentioned you, she told me that you guys used to play during summer when you were younger."

"Oh.. right. Bella, who is my neighbour." His chest shook a little as he chuckled and I couldn't help but stare at his chest muscles, that was clearly visible through his shirt. "Yeah, she was my first friend when I moved here. I was seven at the time, she was nine. We used to hang out every summer but when she stopped coming here so often, we kind of grew apart... like friends do sometimes. It was sad but we both..." I caught myself rambling and quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to ramble."

He shook his head. "No you didn't... I liked hearing you talk." Warmth rose to my cheeks once more and I chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry to say that I have to go and pick up my dad but I don't really feel comfortable leaving you alone after what just happened. I could give you a ride, if you want?" He offered.

"I'm fine, really. It was just a migraine and it's over now. Besides, my car is just across the street, I'll be home in a jippy."

He seemed hestitant, his eyes scanning me up and down, checking to see if I really was alright. After a while, he sighed as he rubbed his neck with his hand. "Okay, I guess I should trust your judgement on your own health." I smiled reassuringly. "But if you start to feel any kind of dizziness or pain, I want you to call me and I'll come pick you up, agreed?"

"Uh.. sure, I guess."

He asked for my phone and I hesitantly handed it to him, a little chocked by his displayed concern. As he grabbed the phone from my hands, our fingers brushed against each other briefly and I'm sure that I felt an exciting spark running through my hand. The way his body twitched, indicated that he had felt it too. He typed his number faster than I could keep up and gave it back to me.

"Drive safely, Mila."

I ignored the butterflies forming in my stomach at the sound of my name coming from him and nodded my head. "You too."

As I crossed the street, walking over to my red Hyundai, I could feel a large grin forming on my lips. I don't know what it was about Jacob that made me feel so... girlish. He was obviously very good looking and kind, but there was something more.. something that I couldn't really put my finger on. I slumped down in the driver's seat and leaned my forehead against the wheel, laughing at myself for acting like a stupid fangirl. I didn't even know him... but I sure as hell wanted to.


	2. School Day

On monday morning, when the sound of my alarm clock, bounced between the four walls of my room, I was already awake and had been for the last three hours. I was just too tense to sleep and had ended up reading half the night, hoping that somehow it would help me relax but it didn't work. I got up and walked over to the bathroom accross the hall. I put my hair up in a messy, high bun and stripped out of my clothes before stepping into the shower and turning on the water.

I took my time in the shower, enjoying the feeling of warm water trickle onto my shoulders and along my back. After twenty minutes I had to force myself to step out and get ready for school. Walking over to my closet, I grabbed a pair of dark-blue jeans and a white blouse and put it on. I put on a little mascara before grabbing my bag and walking downstairs. My dad was already sitting in the kitchen, sipping on his coffee and looking through some papers. He worked as a teacher at the middle school, so it was probably homeworks or student evaluations. "Good morning, sweetheart."

"Good morning, dad." I greeted while pouring down milk and cereals into a bowl. Grabbing a spoon, I sat accross from my dad who were still staring down at his papers.

"So, are you looking forward to your last week of school."

"Yeah I suppose so. Summer vacation sounds pretty good, I just wish I could be at the end of senior year already."

He looked up from his paper, amused. "You will be, soon enough."

I frowned. "Dad. I still have two years left."

"Well, time flies by when you're having fun."

"And if you're not having fun?" I challenged.

"Then you make it fun." He stated knowingly, causing me to laugh.

"See?" He smiled at me before getting up and walking over to the sink. He poured out the rest of the coffee and put the cup down. "I need to get going, or I'll be late. Do you want to ride with me to school?"

"No, that's okay, I'll take my car."

"Alright." He kissed my forehead before heading for the front door. "Have a nice day and I'll see you this afternoon."

"You too!" I called.

After eating my breakfast, I put on my black coat and grabbed the car keys as I walked out the door. While walking over to my car, I spotted Bella coming out of her front door and walking over to Edward's silver volvo, which was parked outside of their house. I smiled and waved politely, when she spotted me as well. She waved back before getting inside the fancy car.

I got in my own car and pushed the key into the the ignition and let the engine come to life. Backing out of the driveway, I put on the radio just as "Just the way you are" with Bruno Mars started playing. While singing along to the song, I switched into first gear and then to second gear as I drove along the street.

_At school:_

Fiddling with my pencil, I listened to Mr. Farber as he went through the civil war – At least I was trying to listen. I had caught myself thinking about everything else and had to force myself to concentrate on what my teacher was saying. Looking at the clock, my mood brightened as the end of the lesson were drawing near. In about five minutes I would finally get something to eat. I was so hungry and maybe, the food would bring me some extra energy. I needed it badly.

When the bell finally rang, I was the first one to sprint out of the door. I met Kaitlyn on my way to the cafeteria and as we stood in line, we talked about our latest lessons. After we had picked our food, we sat down at a table in the upper corner of the cafeteria and we were soon joined by Jill and her boyfriend Owen.

As we talked and laughed, I began to feel the familiar warmth that I had felt two days ago, spreading from my toes and up my body. I tensed up and a feeling of panick sparked inside of me; No, no, no, not again. I tried to push it away but of course, it was futile. Within the next seconds, the throbbing pain had started and I groaned as I positioned my elbows on top of the table, putting my head in my hands."What's wrong?" Kaitlyn asked from my right.

I looked up, only to realize that I couldn't see my friends anymore – I couldn't see anything, only darkness. The feeling of something pressing inside my head came back, but now, the worst of the pressure was against my optic nerve. I could feel my eyeballs vibrate by the force of it. As my attack continued and even got worse, I bit down on my lips hard, so I wouldn't cry out. Soon, the taste of blood filled my mouth but I kept on biting down. I didn't want people around me to know what was going on with me but it was too late for three people.

My friends kept on repeating my name and asking what was happening. I couldn't answer them and even if I could, I didn't have any explanation. The first time, I told myself that it was just a very bad migraine but now, I had no idea what it was. I tried to take deep breaths to stabilize my rapid heartbeat and soon I could feel my body starting to slowly soothe down. The aching pain in my head eased up along with the pressure. My sight was the last thing to come back. I looked up and instinctivily blinked, my eyes readapting to the light.

Three pair of startled eyes stared at me, not sure of what had just happened. I sat up straighter on the wooden chair, looking around the cafeteria but no one else seemed to have noticed. I felt a hand on my arm, it belonged to my best friend. "Are you okay, Mila?"

"Yes, I'm fine now. Just a migraine." I lied. Kaitlyn opened her mouth to say something else but I beat her to it. "I need to go to the bathroom." I excused myself and rose from my seat, heading out of the cafeteria. I could feel their eyes on me, following my every step till I rounded the corner, slipping out of their field of vision.

I was relieved when I saw that I was alone in the bathroom. I let my bag drop to the ground as I turned on the water and splashed it on my face. I looked up and met my own reflection in the mirror. My lower lip was a bright red and you could faintly distinguish the bite marks from my teeth. My hands were still trembling slightly as I balled them into fists. "What is happening to me?" I choked out as tears started to form and threatened to spill.

These attacks weren't normal and I began to suspect that they had a connection to my visions. It was the unknown that scared me the most. I was desperate for some answers. I had spent the entire Sunday searching on the internet but most of it was purely fiction. There was nothing that I could relate to, nothing that reminded of the things that I have seen and experienced.

I wiped off the few tears that had escaped down my cheeks as I heard the school bell ring and took a deep breath to calm down a bit before heading out of the bathroom and towards my next class.

_End of school day:_

At the end of the school day, the heap of students rushed outside, including me. I walked down the stairs and when I looked up, there he was, Jacob. He was standing by the parking lot, looking around like he was searching for someone, Bella probably. For a moment I stopped and admired him, the silky look of his short black hair, the intensity in his dark eyes and how his huge muscles flexed when he folded his arms. He was beautiful and enchanting, filling me with curiosity and a will to know more about him. I was clearly not the only one being attracted to the tall, proud-looking stranger. Most girls walking passed him stole quick glances of him, before turning back to their friends with a giggle. Of course, he didn't take notice of any of them as he continued to scan the crowd for my neighbor.

"Mila!"

I jumped at the sound of my name being called from behind me and at the same time, Jacob jerked his head towards me and his eyes met mine. I offered a smile and waved once, trying not to look embarrassed over the fact that he had once again caught me staring. I don't know what kind of greeting I was expecting but I felt slightly disappointed when he gave me a ghost of a smile, so small you could barely see it, before turning his gaze away from me.

I turned around and greeted my best friend as she walked up to me, a questioning look on her face. "Who were you waving to?"

Looking back to were Jacob had been standing, I noticed he was nowhere to be seen. "It was just a boy that I met on my way home from work."

"Ooh! What's his name? Is he hot? Does he go to our school?"

I rolled my eyes, amused of her eagerness. "His name is Jacob. I think he lives in La Push and yes, he's very good looking."

"I'd really like to see some pictures!"

"Yeah sure, you want an autograph with that as well?" I replied sarcastically.

"Yes, please."

I shook my head, laughing. Soon, Kaitlyn chimed in as well.

"So, what are you up to now?" She asked me.

"I actually have to get home, it's my time cooking dinner. But maybe tomorrow we can grab a bite to eat at the diner, after I get off work?"

"Yeah, that sounds great... Hey!" She stopped me from leaving. "Is everything okay with you? I mean, you would tell me if there was something bothering you, right?"

I swallowed, the caring look in her eyes making me feel like such a horrible person and the fact that she didn't really push the matter, even though I knew that she had picked up on my secretively behavior. Especially after what had happened today in the cafeteria. I held back the urge to tell my best friend everything, I wanted to at least know something more about it. So for the second time on the same day, I did something I never should have done before all of this started. I lied to my best friend.

"Of course."


	3. Latest Victim

_The darkness surrounded me and the air around me turned ice cold, making my breaths come out as little clouds of smoke. The hair on my bare arms rose up as I felt a vicious presence approaching, causing a chill to go down my spine. My breathing got heavier as my heart started beating more violently, a threatening chuckle filling the empty void. _

_A sound of something dripping from behind me, reached my ears and with a lot of effort, I defied the paralyzing fear that had struck my body and turned around. A small puddle of blood laid approximately four meters away from my naked feet and with every drop, it grew bigger. _

_I blinked and then the blood had vanished, it was replaced by a dark figure, shaped like a human. I couldn't see it's face but it was slightly crouched down with it's knees bent, like it was ready to leap forward. "Who are you?" I called out but got no answer. _

_No sounds came from it, no signs of any movement, like it was a statue. I took a few steps closer, slowly, and it remained competely still. Whatever this was, it made me feel uneasy, yet desperate to find out more about it. I spun my head to the right when I heard a hissing sound but when I didn't see anything, I returned my attention to the dark figure in front of me and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest when it hovered over me, only six inches away from my face. I raised my head, turning my gaze upwards and was met by a pair of big eyes, with the same colour as the puddle of blood._

_I quickly spun around and ran in the opposite direction but stopped dead in my tracks when big drops of blood landed right in front of my feet. I looked up to see where the blood came from, when something big fell from above me and landed in front of me – a body. It was a young man. His sweatpants and shirt was tainted with blood, as well as his blonde curls that fell, damp onto his forehead. His dark blue eyes were still wide open but they held no life to them. He was dead. I screamed._

That was the last thing that I'd seen before waking up, covered in sweat and breathing hard. I had been thinking about my latest vision all day, trying to think out a reason for seeing what I saw, perhaps an incident that had triggered the horrific scenes. The closest thing I could think of, was the papercut I had gotten last night when working on my essay, which I wouldn't consider being that dramatic. And who was that boy? I was pretty sure that I had never seen him before in my life, so why was he in my vision?

I rested my elbows on top of the cash counter, putting my chin against the palm of my hands. The vision had been short but also more detailed than all my previous visions. Instead of many different sequences passing by in a blur, this one had been clear and played out in one single frequency but this hadn't been the first time the same red eyes had been haunting my sleep. They would appear in almost every vision, holding the same menacing glare, that would turn my blood to ice. Whoever they belonged to, didn't mean well but then, who could possible have red eyes, unless they were contacts?

"Hi there."

I looked up and noticed that a middle-aged man had, well, rolled inside the shop. The man was crippled, still sitting proud on a wheelchair, giving me the most warm smile that I had ever received. His long thick black hair rested on top of his shoulders in silky waves and I easily figured out he was from the reservation. He was being pushed forward by two big hands and when I saw who the hands belonged to, I nearly choked. He seemed just as shocked to see me, gaping and staring at me. Seeing as this was the fourth time me and Jacob had bumped into each other in one way or another over the last couple of days, made me question if there was simply a coincidence or if there was something else behind it. I was probably overthinking it but I also couldn't ignore the fact that I felt a pull towards him, after not even noticing him for nine years.

Remembering that they were my customers, I snapped out of it and smiled politely. "Hi! I'm sorry, I must have been daydreaming. How can I help you?"

"That's quite alright dear! We're looking for the perfect bouquet for a wonderful woman." He said with a playful wink, causing Jacob to roll his eyes. "Dad, come on."

I laughed softly at Jacob's embarrassment about his dad's little gesture. Luckily he didn't seem offended by it as he turned his gaze towards me, a grin forming on his lips.

"That's sweet, what's the occasion?" I asked.

"Oh... Just a regular dinner with friends of ours."

I led them over to our cabinets with bouquets of different flowers. "So what kind of flowers are you looking for?"

"What about lilies, son? Think Sue would like them?" He turned to his son, who still had his eyes on me. Warmth rose to my cheeks, despite my efforts to stay calm and collected.

"How would I know?" He mumbled as he finally looked away from me and to his father.

The grown man didn't answer but gave me a look of amusement and I smiled back. "Well, if I were Sue, I would love them. Especially the purple ones, they're my personal favorites."

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Jacob turn his head in my direction once again as I spoke and I began to feel the familiar flutter in my stomach.

He agreed on purple lilies and I went towards the back desk to get a wrapping paper, to drape around the flowers. As I walked back, I failed to notice the spilled water on the floor, from when I re-filled the buckets earlier today. Before I knew it, I had slipped on the wet surface and I felt a strong suction in my stomach as I began to fall backwards to the ground. But before I hit the floor, I felt two strong arms catch me and help me back on my feet. The only thing I could feel was my own rapid heartbeat as I stared up at Jacobs widened eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for catching me."

He nodded his head. "No problem."

When the adrenaline subsided, I blushed as I felt his hands grasping my lower waist, I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. His hands felt warm and the feeling of him touching my body, even with the fabric in between, sent a jolt through me and set my inside on fire. Not in a painful or agonizing way, but in a jittery and sensual kind of way. It was feelings that I wasn't used too and it scared me quite a bit, the strong feeling of wanting him as close to me as possible. I told myself that it was natural, having a physical response to someone who's so attractive. Completely normal, expected even.

Jacob didn't seem to be in any hurry to let go of me either, on the contrary, his hold on me only seemed to tighten - or maybe that was my imagination. The two of us only stood and stared at each other, the intensity between us working like a snare, tying us together. He flickered his eyes between my eyes and my lips and as I invited the idea of him leaning down and kissing me, a sound of someone clearing their throat brought me back to reality, like a cold wave.

Jacob dropped his hold on me and I quickly took a step back, remembering that I was still at my work, with his father standing only two meters away from us and I barely even knew him. Jacob seemed to realize his mistake as well, as he looked down on the ground, running his hand through his short black hair.

When I finally dared to look back up to his father, expecting to see a look of shock or even disapproval, I was surprised to see that he was smiling. He gave his son a knowing look, which Jacob ignored as he walked back over to his side, avoiding looking in my direction. He was probably just as embarrassed as I was and I knew that my face was as red as an overripe tomato. Knowing that I had to be professional, I ignored the fact that I had just made a complete fool of myself and continued to help them pick out the flowers.

The tension that hung in the air, made every movement seem forced and when Jacob and his father finally left the store, I slumped down on the ground, leaning my back against the counter.

"What the hell was that?"

_Hours later:_

"You almost kissed?!" Kaitlyn exclaimed, her eyes big with excitement.

I had just told her about my meeting with Jacob and his father earlier this evening. We sat in a booth at the diner, waiting for our burgers and fries.

"I didn't say that. A part of me wanted him to kiss me."

"So why didn't _you_ kiss _him_?"

"I barely even know the guy!"

"So? Kiss him, then get to know him." She whispered the last part as the waitress came with our plates.

I took four fries and stuffed them all into my mouth, I was starving. " You know that's not the type of girl that I am."

"I do know that, but sometimes I wish you could stop overthinking everything and just do what your heart tells you to. You have a dark side young lady, whether you choose to embrace it or not." She stated, pointing a fries in my direction before putting in into her mouth.

"A dark side?" I mused.

"It's true, you have a weak spot for adventures, just like the rest of us and speaking of, have you heard about The Cullens having a graduation party at their house friday night?"

Leave it to Kaitlyn to completely change the subject, although this time I didn't mind the subject change. "A party? At The Cullens? Really?"

This really surprised me, that they would want to invite other people than just Bella, to their home. The Cullens had always been very secretive about themselves and had usually only kept to themselves but that changed when Bella had arrived. She shocked everyone when she caught the interest of Edward Cullen, who had never shown any signs of being interested in any girl, and short after they were an item. Now because of Bella they had finally started to open up a little and they no longer sit at a table all to themselves, with the exception of Rosalie and Emmett, they still liked to be left alone.

"Everyone is going..." She stared at me expectantly and I immediately understood what she wanted.

I sighed. "I don't know Kaitlyn. I mean, are we even invited? Don't you think that the party is for Seniors only?"

"Of course not. Come on Mila, it will be fun, I promise!"

After pestering me about the party for another couple of minutes, I finally gave in. I agreed to check it out for an hour and if I didn't feel comfortable, I would simply go home. Even though the main reason I agreed to go was for Kaitlyn, I still felt a little intrigued to see how The Cullens lived.

Kaitlyn and I continued on talking about our plans for the summer vacation as we ate the rest of our food. Somehow, I had a feeling that this summer was going to be special and it made me excited.

At about 8 p.m we finally left the diner, after sitting and talking for about two hours. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug and she immediately hugged me back. "See you tomorrow at school."

"Yeah, sleep tight." She replied.

As we walked to our individual cars, the wind picked up and I folded my arms in front of my chest, pulling the jacket closer to my body. The only sound came from the footsteps of Kaitlyn and I, except for the soft roar from distant cars. I looked all around me, when the feeling of someone watching me crept up my spine. Seeing no one, I looked back at Kaitlyn, who didn't seem faced at all as she climbed into her car.

Thinking that I must have imagined it, I turned back to my own car, opened the door and got in. As I put the key into the ignition, I flinched when I heard a loud car horn behind me and I looked into the rearview mirror as Kaitlyn drove past me. I hadn't even heard her engine start. I started my own car and pulled it out of reverse, before grabbing the steering wheel, a little too hard. The feeling of someone watching me still lingered, making me feel very anxious and exposed.

I drove well over the speed limit, wanting to get home as soon as possible and when I finally closed the door behind me, I let out a breath of relief. Before getting into bed, I walked over to my window and closed the curtains. Somehow, it made me feel a little calmer, like the curtains worked as a barricade between me and the outside world.

_Next morning:_

A yawn escaped my lips as I walked down the stairs, enjoying having some extra time this morning before school. I had always liked doing all my morning routines without feeling stress about time. As expected, I didn't get much sleep during the night, so this extra time was really precious.

I put on the tv in the living room and raised the volume so I could hear it from the kitchen while I started making breakfast. The first thing I did was to make coffee, needing a caffeine kick to wake up. As I began buttering a sandwich I could hear the news blaring from the tv.

_Last night, a young man was found dead by two teenagers close to the harbor. Reports states that his body had been emptied of blood by two puncture wounds on his shoulder. He is the fifth victim in the last three weeks and panic are now beginning to spread in the town of Seattle..._

This caught my attention and I stopped what I was doing, walking out into the living room. What I saw almost made me scream as I slapped a hand over my mouth, in shock. On the tv, a picture was showing the latest victim and I recognized him immediately. The same blonde hair and dark blue eyes, it was the man that I had seen dead in my vision. Suddenly I didn't need the caffeine anymore, I was wide awake.


End file.
